Hughes released to make room for QB

A quarterback the Chargers didn't know they needed cost a couple young players their jobs.

Brandon Hughes, the Chargers' sixth cornerback, was released today to make room for quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan, signed Monday after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals.

On Tuesday, the team cut quarterback Jonathan Crompton from the practice squad. They don't need four quarterbacks during the week, and they wanted to grab tight end Kory Sperry for the practice squad. Sperry, a promising player they had in camp last year, was just released by the Denver Broncos. He played for Miami in '09.

Hughes, the team's fifth-round pick in 2009, missed his rookie season after knee surgery. He had a good camp but was the logical candidate to be released. He is eligible for the practice squad after he clears waivers and the Chargers are left with five corners still on the roster.

The Chargers also released guard Jeff Hansen from the practice squad and signed tackle Ryan Otterson, who was released from the 53-man roster on Sunday.

The Chargers initially kept just two quarterbacks, because Crompton is not ready to play in the NFL. Their thinking was if Philip Rivers got injured, they would sign a veteran to back up Billy Volek. When O'Sullivan became available, they signed him for insurance.